There were many people buying and tasting tea at Xiji Tea House, and most of them were well-dressed and clearly wealthy customers.
Mu Run's coarse cloth outfit made him seem somewhat out of place here.
The shop assistants also became much more dismissive of him, asking, "Sir, what would you like to order?"
Mu Run noticed the waiter's slightly raised chin and disdainful look, but she didn't care. She really wasn't there to buy tea; she was just browsing.
"No need for now, you go about your business." Mu Run took the basket off his back and placed it in a corner where it wouldn't get in the way.
"Okay, call me when you've finished looking." The waiter said, then went to attend to the other customers.
Mu Run looked at the names of the teas on the shelf: Lingzhi Leaf, Wangsun, Queshe, Ruicao Kui, Zhuyan, Taoyu... Guixiang Shuixian. When Mu Run saw Guixiang Shuixian, he remembered the Guixiang Luohan tea he had drunk at Xiangxiufang.
"Excuse me, could you please take a look at that Osmanthus Fragrance Fairy?"
The waiter, busy introducing tea to other customers, glanced at her upon hearing the sound and said, "Wait a moment."
Mu Run stood in front of the counter waiting.
But after waiting for a while, the waiter served one customer after another, but he didn't come to her.
Just as she was about to call out again, a refined and handsome young man walked behind the counter, took down the tea that Mu Run wanted, and handed it to her. "Is this what you want, miss?"
"Girl!" Mu Run's heart skipped a beat, then she quickly looked at her clothes, especially her chest, which was completely flat... with nothing suspicious about it.
Xi Gongyong chuckled and said, "I have a younger sister who, like you, likes to dress as a man and sneak out of the manor to play, so I have some experience with this."
Mu Run: "..." I'm not your sister, is it a bit inappropriate to expose someone's disguise so abruptly?
Opening the exquisite tea box made of rosewood reveals loose tea wrapped in paper pouches. The tea leaves are dark and lustrous, with a rich aroma.
"May I try a brew?" Mu Run asked somewhat embarrassedly, because she wasn't going to buy any tea but wanted to taste it, and there was a high chance she would be refused.
However, to her surprise, the other party readily agreed.
"sure."
Nishimiya asked the waiter to fetch teaware and hot water.
Upon seeing that it was Mu Run who wanted tea, the waiter immediately said to Xi Gongyong, "Master, this guest..."
Xi Gongyong glanced at him indifferently.
The waiter immediately shut up and meekly went to prepare the tea set.
"Master Xigong, it's been a long time." A regular customer came over and greeted Xigong Yong.
"It's Manager Lu..."
As Mu Run listened to their pleasantries, he was somewhat surprised when he first heard the surname of the host, Xi Gong, as he had never heard of such a compound surname before.
If Mu Run knew more about North Street, he would know that the surname Xigong in North Street represents the Xiangping Gang, the number one gang in North Street.
The waiter brought over the tea set and hot water.
Xi Gongyong greeted Manager Lu, "I'm about to open a pot of Osmanthus Fragrance Lily Tea. Manager Lu, would you like to try it with me?"
"It would be my honor, my honor!" Manager Lu readily agreed, even rubbing his hands together, clearly looking forward to it.
Mu Run then spoke up, saying to Xi Gongyong, "May I charge?"
Xi Gongyong paused, then nodded, "Of course, please."
Shopkeeper Lu seemed to only then notice Mu Run. He glanced at him and, seeing his muddy clothes, his voice turned much colder, "Young man, do you know how to brew tea? Don't waste this good stuff."
"If I don't know how to brew it, I'll buy this tea," Mu Run replied.
"Can you afford a bottle of Osmanthus Fragrance that costs seventy taels a catty?" Manager Lu said in a disdainful tone.
“…I’ll buy this batch.” Mu Run reached for his wallet as he spoke.
Xi Gongyong said, "This tea is on my behalf."
"The owner of the Western Palace is so generous," Manager Lu said with a fawning smile, bowing with his hands clasped.
Xi Gongyong extended his hand to Mu Run in a gesture of invitation.
"Wait a moment." Mu Run walked outside and carefully washed her hands with the spring water.
When other guests saw that Xigong Yong was about to serve tea, they came over to join in the fun and exchanged pleasantries with him.
When Mu Run returned after washing her hands, she found that there were a few more teacups on the table.
“I can begin,” Mu Run said to Xi Gongyong.
Nishimiya Yo made an inviting gesture again, "Please."
Mu Run's hands weren't particularly delicate or fair. Xin Lian had always been a poor girl in her uncle's family, never pampered, working hard every day, which had left her hands a wheatish color and rough texture. However, Xin Lian's hands were beautifully shaped, slender and long, with rounded fingertips, making them very pleasing to the eye.
"Generally, the quality of dry tea can only be initially judged from its shape, color, aroma, and taste. To know whether it is good or not, you still have to brew it, taste it, smell its aroma, and observe the tea leaves. This Osmanthus Fragrance Fairy Tea has tightly rolled leaves, a dark and glossy color, and is neat with few broken buds, so its appearance is quite good."
Upon hearing this, Manager Lu, who had previously looked down on Mu Run, became serious. Xi Gongyong's standard, polite smile also deepened.
"Now let's see how the tea soup turns out." Mu Run rinsed all the teaware with boiling water, then used tea tongs to pick up a pot of dry tea. There was no need for precise measurement with a tea scoop; the amount of tea was just right, which showed that her tea-making skills were not acquired overnight.
Place the dry tea leaves into a teacup, cover the teacup with the lid, gently shake to awaken the aroma, then uncover the lid to smell and taste the tea...
"This is a medium-to-full-fire tea, with a rich and invigorating aroma from the smoky charcoal roasting. It is mellow, lingering, and full of charm." As he spoke, Mu Run handed the lid of the bowl to Xi Gongyong, indicating that he could smell the aroma.
Xi Gongyong naturally understood his tea. He took the teacup lid, lowered his nose and sniffed it carefully... It was clearly the same tea he usually drank, but after being handled by the woman in front of him, it seemed to be different, with a more mellow and rich aroma.
"Yes, that's right."
Mu Run took another deep breath of the tea aroma, looking thoroughly satisfied, "Fragrant, warm, and soft as jade."
Hearing her words, the other tea drinkers couldn't help but get restless, especially Manager Lu, who really wanted to snatch the teacup to smell the aroma, but restrained himself because of what he had said earlier.
The tea is brewed in a swirling motion. The right hand holds the kettle, and the wrist rotates counterclockwise. The water flows along the inner wall of the cup into the tea bowl. Then, some tea leaves and foam are skillfully skimmed off, and the lid is put on. The tea is poured out smoothly.
“Some people say you shouldn’t drink the first brew of tea. One reason is according to tea etiquette; it’s considered impolite to offer someone the first brew. Another is the idea of rinsing the tea. But for me, I won’t throw away the first brew of good tea. I like to drink it last; it brings a different kind of surprise. So, I call this first brew the ‘Resurrection Soup.’” Mu Run’s voice, as she explained the tea, was slightly different from her usual tone, more gentle and magnetic, making it extremely pleasant to listen to.
Xi Gongyong's eyes flickered slightly, "A soul-reviving soup?"
"Master Xigong can give it a try in a bit." Mu Run smiled and winked at him playfully.
"..." Knowing that she was a woman, Xi Gongyong couldn't help but smile.
The bright orange-yellow tea liquor was set aside, and the second infusion was prepared, just like the first, and poured out immediately.
The clearer and more fragrant tea soup was poured into the fairness cup.
Mu Run poured a cup for Xi Gongyong, one for himself, then poured one for Manager Lu, and the others each received one as well.
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